Credo (The Human League album)

Production

After the commercial failure of their previous album, Secrets, the band decided to concentrate on their live appearances and forego a contract with a major label. After seven years of working live venues, Philip Oakey and Rob Barton decided the band needed new material. These new tracks caught the attention of Mark Jones, founder of Wall of Sound.

Teaming up with Sheffield based electronic act I Monster, the band decided to cater the album mainly toward the dance scene.

The band decided to retain an earlier feel to some of the tracks, including "Privilege" (which they wanted to "sit next to Being Boiled" and "fixed in 1978"), but welcomed I Monster's heavy resequencing on others, including "Sky". Oakey notes I Monster's contribution to the album stating in an interview with John Doran of The Quietus, "The first thing he gave us back, 'Sky' we just went, 'Wow, how has he turned that into this?' They’ve got a really good collection of synths."

Critical reception

The album has received mixed reviews scoring 58 at Metacritic. Mojo magazine said "Will their return to recording prove their relevance, three decades after 1981's epochal, synapse-sparkling Dare!? The hi-gloss but uneven Credo only partially convinces." Musicweek compared Credo to "a latter period Pet Shop Boys album."

However, there have been many favourable reviews. One being the Glasswerk National review, which said "Credo manages to make itself heard above the brashest state-of-the-art pop productions and brings some of that primitive essence to the milieu, as well as The Human League's unique quality of apartness." Gay Times has awarded 'Credo' with 5/5 and has been hailed as an 'incredible pop offering'. Mixmag praised the album for being "crisp, dynamic and upbeat, with contemporary electronic pop sheen". Caroline Sullivan from The Guardian remarked "Credo sounds like nobody but the Human League: electronics gurgle and whirr, and some fairly memorable melodies surge and flow. The production is sleeker than before." MusicOMH declared "Credo, is a lot of fun, marred only by occasionally bad lyrics. It feels like a defiance of time." and that "it still sounds completely fresh and absolutely The Human League." They also stated that the album is "beguiling".

The three singles released from the album failed to chart, however "Never Let Me Go" received substantial airplay on BBC Radio 2. The album itself charted at No. 44 on the UK Albums Chart. A double vinyl edition was released on 25 July 2011.

Track listing

Written by Robert Barton and Philip Oakey, except where noted

1. "Never Let Me Go"
2. "Night People" (Barton/Honer/Gosling/Oakey)
3. "Sky"
4. "Into the Night"
5. "Egomaniac"
6. "Single Minded"
7. "Electric Shock" (Barton/Honer/Gosling/Oakey)
8. "Get Together"
9. "Privilege"
10. "Breaking the Chains"
11. "When the Stars Start to Shine"